Example embodiments of inventive concepts relates to a thermoelectric element and a thermoelectric module, and more particularly, to a thermoelectric element and a thermoelectric module which are based on a semiconductor material.
In recent years, as interest in clean energy is growing, research on thermoelectric elements is actively conducted. The thermoelectric elements may transform thermal energy into electric energy, or on the contrary, may generate temperature difference by applying electric energy.
When a metal wire is connected to both ends of a thermoelectric material, and one end of the thermoelectric material is heated up while the other end of the thermoelectric material is maintained in a cooled down state, a voltage due to a temperature difference between both ends, i.e., thermoelectromotive force may be generated, and thus current flows in a closed circuit. This phenomenon is called the Seebeek effect to be a principal of thermoelectric power generation by a thermoelectric element.
When current flows in a loop that is provided with metals connected to each other with a semiconductor (a thermoelectric element) therebetween, a potential difference is generated due to a Fermi-energy difference. In this regard, since electric charges bring energy required to be moved from a metal surface to the other metal surface, (Endothermic) cooling may take place on the metal surface. On the contrary, since the electric charge releases the energy brought from the metal surface to the other metal surface, (Exothermic) heating may take place on the other metal surface. This phenomenon is called the Peltier effect to be an operation principal of cooling devices by the thermoelectric element.